Fertilizer.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CABLETON ELLIS, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK.

FERTILIZER.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARLETON. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State'of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizers,of which the following is a specificatlon.

which the aforesaid soluble salts will be not easily leached by theaction of water, so that when the fertilizer is applied to the soil thefertilizing elements are prevented from being rapidly washed out of thefertilizer in damp weather, but will be delivered from the granules tothe soil in a gradual way and in an assimilable form and over a. longperiod of time, so that the soil may never carry fertilizing elementsunder normal conditions to exceed the isotonic strength.

it is further the object of this invention to provide a fertilizercontaining a compound capable of depressing or neutralizing the actionof toxic bodies which often form in the soil and accumulate to such anextent as to render the soil infertile. Heretofore it popu-' larly hasbeen supposed that lack of roductivity meant soil deficient in the stanard fertilizing elements potash, phosphorus or nitrogen. Recentinvestigations have shown that a soil may be replete with thesefertilizing elements and still be unproductive.

, It has further developed that by the decay of vegetation ordecomposition of animal refuse such as is often found in commonfertilizers a series of poisons generally of a nitrogenous character isproduced. Prominently among these are the compounds of yridin and itsisomers such as picolin, utidin, etc. For instance an acid derivative ofpicolin, namely, picolin dicarboxylic acid and an associated aciduvitonic acid commonly present in infertile soils have a markedinhibiting action on plant growth acting as it were just as arsenic doeson the human organism. Other toxic bodies,

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t 22, 1910, Application filedOctober 14, 1908. Serial No. 457,635.

too, of a different chemical character such as d hydroxystearic acid andthe like are often generated in certain types of soils 'and constitute aserious menace to the tiller of the S011. No matter how thoroughly thesod may be fertilized yet for some supposedly mysterious reason aarticular patch or tract of land does not a 0rd yields commensurate withthe labor and treatment expended on it. The formation of toxic bodieswhich poison plant life is the explanation of this unproductivesoil-condition.

IVhile certain mineral salts particularly sodium nitrate and calciumcarbonate aid to some extent in repressing the increase in toxic bodiesthey are by no means positive in their action. In the present invention,it is sought to employ the above mentioned mineral salts for whatfertilizing, soilorganic bodies such as alpha naphthylamin,

specially treated bone black, pyrogallol and particularly the compoundsof formic acid such as formate of calcium or ammonium.

My invention involves the combination of soluble and readily assimilablefertilizing salts with cementitious material and in granulating andallowing to harden or in first hardening and then gra'nulating, so as toproduce granules of about the size of the pea. The soluble fertilizingsalts which I may employ include ammonium salts, such as, sulfate,nitrate and phosphate of ammonia and the similar compounds of potash. Ofcourse, other potash salts, such as, kainit and the like may beemployed.Among the phosphorus containing compounds I may make use of ordinaryacid phosphate of lime, or better, the double super-phosphate as wellasphosphates of other bases. Inasmuch as I prefer to make an odorlesscomposition preferably free from organic matter, such as tankage andproducts of the abattoirs, I prefer to make my composition largely orentirely of clean substantially odorless mineral salts which are readilyassimilable and easily soluble. It is well known that sodium nitrate, orChile saltpeter, is an excellent stimulant for plant life. In the formof nitrate, plant rootlets can readily absorb or assimilate nitrogen.This is not true of ammonium sulfate, which has to undergo the 'actionof nitrifying bacteria in the soil betim'ately incorporated with organicbodies such as eat as it tends to form extremely combusti lecompositions. I have endeavored in 'the present invention to make use ofthe remarkable stimulating properties of sodium nitrate in such a waythat this compound cannot be used in quantities dangerous to plantgrowth and so compounded with a roper carrier, as to be entirelincombustlble and free from all risk 0 fire, etc. In this manner I amable to do away with the slower acting ammonium sulfate and make use ofthe highly beneficial and stimulating sodium nitrate. It should befurther emphasized that the use 'of plain sodium nitrate without meansfor repressing its solubility is fraught with great danger to plantlife, as has been attested by numerous experiments and trials. In thepresent invention vI have made an important advance in the art in that Ihave made sodium nitrate safe to use for general fertilizin purposes.

As t e cementing material I prefer to use 7 hydraulic or Portlandcement, but may make use of other cementitious bodies, such as calcinedsulfate of lime, Sorel cement, clays,

etc. It is my object to so incorporate the cementing material that itacts as a granular support or carrier for the soluble fertilizingsalts,. from which granule the salts may gradually leach when in contactwith moisture, eventually leaving the cementitious material as a porousgranule, or skeleton, which has a peculiar beneficent effect to' thesoil, as it sweetens and orosifies the soil, acts as an anti-clog and ais in bringing about that condition of tilth or soil-crumb formationwhich is so requisite for the most successful growth of plants. Moreoversoil which has become badly clogged by the use of ordinary fertilizersis quickl opened and rectified thereby. It will be evident that althoughImake m composition in a granular form and alt ough, the fertilizingelements are liberated slowly when the composition is applied, yet Iaccomplish this re sult without sealing the granular carrier, andthereby obviate the expense of such an operation.

A suitable composition ma be secured by phate of lime containing about40% of phosphoric acid free and combined, with twenty pounds'sodiumnitrate, ten pounds potassium A sulfate and five pounds trisodiumphosphate. This mixture is moistened with a little water and stirred andfifty ounds of Portland cement then introduce The mixture is wellagitated, additional water being added, if necessary, so as to reduce amass about as moist as wet san 5 this is passed through a granulatingmachine so as to give the composition a granular form. As the mixtureleaves the granulat'or it may be thrown-'- on a late conv'eyer passingthrough a drying c amber so as to remove the moisture, or may first beallowed to set and then dried, or instead of passing the mixture througha granulating machine, the mass ma be allowed to solidify andsubsequently e passed throu h a crusher and coarse grinder. The crus edmass containing coarse and fine particles may be used as it stands, ormay be screened; the fine, or dust-like, material being returned to themixer, if desired, to "be incorporated with a subsequent batch.

If it be desired to introduce humus into my composition, I may addgranular peat, for example, which preferabl is coated with clay, kaolinor carbonate of ime. To effect this coating I may mix eighty ounds ofpeat with twenty pounds of car onate of lime, moisten with water,agitate and This coated peat is-then ad ed to the we dried granularmaterial containing the fertilizing salts. With such an incombustiblecoating surrounding the peaty granules it is possible to make use ofnitrates 'eit er alone or preferably in admixture with ammonium sulfateor ammonium phosphate.

A suitable composition with this modification involved is illustrated bythe following formula:

Cement 45 parts Sodium nitrate 10 Ammonium sulfate 5 Potassium sulfate 5Double superphosphate 12 Potassium carbonate 3 Coated granular peat 20The first five ingredients are incorporated as above set forth and thenmixed with the peat. The mixture may be inoculated with nitrogen fixingbacteria so that when applied to the S011 nitrogen is withdrawn from theair and rendered available as a plant food.

To overcome the disturbing effects of various toxic bodies which tend toaccumulate in soils due to the decomposition of vegetation andimproperly prepared fertilizers I introduce small amounts of antidotalbodies such as naphthylamin or preferably formates, preferably basicformate of calcium, in quantities of from one tenth to one hunisprevented from exceeding the toxic limit.

Thus it becomes unnecessary to provide for rotation of crops as the soilis kept at all times in a sweet innocuous condition, so that rotationoffers no advantages other than that produced by selective absorption offertilizing elements.

Another formula illustrative of my invention consists of Doublesuperphosphate 150 parts Sodium nitrate 200 Potash sulfate 150 Hydratedlime 100 Portland cement 490 Kaolin-coated granular peat 400 Basiccalcium formate l The salts are incorporated with the cement and workedwith water to the con sistency of stiff putty, allowed to set and drythen mixed with the peat.

What I claim is 1. A fertilizer consisting of salts containing nitrogen,phosphorus and potash incorporated in a substantially granular form byPortland cement and admixed with granular lime-coated peat.

2. A fertilizer comprising salts contain-,

ing nitrogen, phosphorus and potash incorporated in a substantiallygranular form by a cementing agent and admixed with granular lime-coatedeat, and carrying a modicum of basic calcium formate.

3. A fertilizer comprising salts containing nitrogen, phosphorus andpotash incorporated in a substantially granular form by a cementingagent and admixed with granular lime-coated peat, and carrying a modicumof asalt of formic acid.

4. A fertilizer c nprising salts containing nitrogen, phosphorus andpotash incorporated in a substantially granular form by cement, andadmixed with granular limecoated peat.

In testimony whereof'I have afiixed my D signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CARLETON ELLIS.

Witnesses:

NATHANIEL L. FOSTER, FRANCES I. NEWMAN.

